The Darkest Day
by Wafflegirl0304
Summary: After being frozen for 10 years, Luigi wakes up to find his friends gone and the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom slaves to Bowser. Can he save the day once again? Find out! :O Features my OC, Cecilia and some other people. I don't own Mario.
1. Prologue

**Itsa NEW STORY! :D I'm pretty sure this idea has been used sometime before...well, to anyone who has had this idea, I didn't steal it! I thought of it myself! D: Well...yeah. This story begins with my OC's POV. I'm sorry if you don't like OCs, but yeah. I WAS gonna start with Luigi's POV, but I thought this would set up the storyline a bit :) enjoy!**

It's 5 in the morning and I'm wide awake, dressed and walking around outside my house. The sky is still dark, but there are streetlamps everywhere.

I trudge in the snow alone. It's cold out, but the only things I'm wearing are my clingy clothes and my favourite orange scarf. My father gave it to me when I was a year old. Before he passed away due to cancer.

I finger my scarf subconsciously.

There is only an hour left until I have to go back to work again.

Working for that stupid Bowser is such a drag. I wish someone would come and save us from this misery.

Ever since the Mario brothers were gone, Bowser took over, and used the townspeople as slaves. Terrible, right?

At least we don't have to work 24/7. We have time off sometimes, like my time off now. I'm pretty grateful for these time offs, but...

Mushroom Kingdom just isn't the same.

I'm thinking about all these things when I spot a broad, fat stick randomly stuck in the snow. I pull it out and brush my finger against its cold, wooden surface.

Bored, I look around for a place to dig. Digging is fun. Hey, I know I sound crazy, but when you're under Bowser's rule, anything besides work is fun.

I find a nice spot to dig, and use the stick to shovel up snow. Sometimes, I find things in the snow too.

Then I hit something hard. Curious, I brush the surrounding snow away and squint to make out what I hit.

It's a man. Frozen solid.

"What the..?" I whisper in disbelief. Is the man dead?

I struggle to pull out the body. Thankfully, nobody here usually wakes up before 5.30am, so I'm sure I'm not being watched.

I observe the man carefully in the dim light. He is wearing dirty overalls, his green shirt is torn, and his eyes are closed. Somehow, he looks peaceful. His skin looks pale and cold, and he has a moustache. But what really gets my attention is the green cap on his head, with a letter L on it.

The letter L.

My heart stops as realisation strikes me. It's Luigi Mario.

**And just what has happened here? :O Looks like that's in the next chapter! ^_^ Bye peoples! See y'all next week!**

**My exams are starting tomorrow, I shouldn't be here... xD**


	2. Awakening

**Hey guys! So I'm kinda bored now and since I already have this chapter written, I guess I'd just post it :P Enjoy! This is in Luigi's POV.**

It's so cold.

So, so cold. And dark.

I'm not particularly fond of either of those things. Unfortunately, I'm now sealed inside both, incapable of movement.

I can feel my heart beating inside my chest, but I don't feel alive. My body is freezing and it hurts all over. It's a horrible feeling, trust me.

I lie in this fetal position for goodness knows how long, with my eyes closed. I can't open them.

Suddenly, I sense light again. The light isn't too bright, but at least it's light.

A voice beckons to me.

"Mr. Luigi, wake up!"

It sounds feminine.

The light brightens and I force my eyes open wearily.

A blurry image of a small girl greets me.

"Mister, you're awake!" she whispers excitedly.

Am I? I don't know...

I blink my eyes open again, and now I can see clearly. The girl is staring at me, her big, brown, curious eyes shining. Her clothes look really torn and old. The thing about her is, she has a bright orange scarf around her neck.

"I'm Cecilia," the girl smiles at me and stretches out a hand.

I try to reach for it, but I soon realise that I'm somewhat paralysed. I can't move much.

Cecilia's eyes look fearful. "Mr. Luigi, are you okay?" she asks.

She looks about for a second, then somewhat hesitantly unties her scarf and carefully wraps it around me.

"I'm gonna go get help, okay? Stay here," she says before running off.

Not like I'll be going anywhere. I'm trembling like a leaf. Plus, my body and overalls feel wet now. The scarf around me is the only warmth-giving thing on me right now. I'm pretty grateful for it.

I'm lying helplessly on something cold and mushy. I think it's snow.

Exhaustion suddenly overwhelms me and my eyes slide shut.

* * *

_"Mario! No!" I screamed as Bowser shot a blinding blue light at Mario._

_Intense cold swept through my body and I screamed, falling to the ground._

_Everything went black. I was frozen. I couldn't see, talk or move._

_"Look what you've done!" I heard my brother yell faintly in the background._

_I heard Bowser laughing evilly, Peach crying and Mario growling._

_"The fool. Shouldn't have done that,"_

_"Don't worry Weegie, I'll avenge you!"_ My brother's voice echoed in my ears.

I jolt awake, breathing heavily. My heart is ricocheting against my chest.

Looking around, I see that I'm not lying in the snow anymore. Instead, I'm in a bed. A soft, warm one. I also realise the orange scarf is still around me.

I see a new face. A toad with jet black eyes and brown spots is looking at me.

"Oh dear, are you alright?" she asks gently.

I look around. Is this...what was that girl's name? Cecilia? Is this Cecilia's home?

"Hi, I'm Cecilia's mother, Mrs. Kice," the toad says warmly.

"Hi," I manage to actually say something.

Just then, Cecilia walks into the room. Her face brightens when she sees me.

"Hi again Mr. Luigi!" she says cheerfully.

I smile weakly at her. "Hello,"

I sit up in the bed slowly, feeling haunted by my dream. What did I do to myself? Where was Mario? What did Bowser do to him?

"I need to know," I whisper.

"Know what?" Cecilia's voice breaks into my thoughts. She is discreetly reclaiming her scarf and wrapping it around her neck.

I sigh. "Y-You...wouldn't happen to know anyone named Mario, would you?"

Mrs. Kice gasps. "Mario Mario? He...was the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom. Until Bowser took over..."

My eyes widen. "Oh no..."

Cecilia studies me for a moment. "Um...you are...Luigi, right? Mario's brother?"

I nod eagerly. "H-How do you know about me?"

"I read about you. You're, like, second famous to Mario. But how are you still alive?" Cecilia asks, puzzled.

"I really don't know how to answer that," I reply. "The last thing I remember was being shot by Bowser and then I couldn't move or talk or anything. It was like I was frozen. Plus it hurt and I was really cold,"

"That's because you WERE frozen, my dear. Bowser would have frozen Mario instead, but you jumped in front of Bowser at the last second and took the attack. Mario was devastated." Mrs. Kice explained.

I swallow hard. So that's what I did.

"Where...where is Mario now?" I ask, beginning to shiver again.

Cecilia bites her lip. "Mr. Luigi...Mario is...dead. He was killed by Bowser, along with Peach on that day. That day..."

"...Was ten years ago," Mrs. Kice finished, a tone of despair in her voice.

"Whoa, so I've been frozen for a freakin' ten years?!" I gasp. I can't believe it.

Cecilia and Mrs. Kice exchanged sorry glances.

"W-What about Bowser?" I ask, my voice rising rapidly.

"Mr. Luigi, please calm down," Mrs. Kice says anxiously.

I pull my torn cap over my eyes and stare at the thin blanket that covers my legs, breathing heavily.

"Bowser has become the supreme evil overlord of Mushroom Kingdom. He makes us work every day for about 7 hours each, with very little food and no pay." Mrs. Kice says sadly.

"I have to go," Cecilia says, suddenly rising. "It's time for work,"

Her voice is impassive, and her face is emotionless. Mrs. Kice gives her a warm hug before the brown-haired girl slips away.

I watch her go, feeling miserable.

"You know what?" I ask.

Mrs. Kice looks at me. "Yes?"

"I'm gonna free you guys. You don't deserve this. Cecilia's just a normal girl. Bowser...he can't do this!" I answer, rage building inside of me. "And after what he did to Mario, I ain't gonna let him get off so easily!"

Mrs. Kice stares at me, her midnight black eyes looking into my angry blue ones.

"Luigi, are you sure? Bowser is ferocious. And how are you going to do it? You'll...you'll be killed, just like your brother!" she cries.

I bite my lip. "I'm sure. I will do it for my brother. I will avenge him and the others, even if..." My heart begins to shatter again. "...Even if he is gone." Tears spring to my eyes.

Mrs. Kice puts a comforting hand on my shoulder. "It's okay, Luigi. I trust that you will be able to do it."

I wipe the tears away and smile at her.

_"Don't worry, Weegie, I'll avenge you!"_

Mario, I'll avenge you.

**Luigi takes on the unthinkable...fighting Bowser! Without Mario! *gasps* What will happen next? :O FIND OUT NEXT TIME! Peace!**


	3. The Madhouse

**Beware! My sadistic mind has thought up this chapter! There is violence and blood! :D BEWARE! ...Okay. Yeah. This is in Cecilia's POV.**

I can feel my heart pounding wildly in my chest as I make my way over to Bowser's lair. To be honest, I've been coming here for a year already. I should be used to it by now, but I always feel panicky when I near his lair.

The only thing that's keeping me from running back home is the promise that Bowser won't hurt Mum. He said if anyone, anyone at all, wasn't present at the correct time, he would do something bad to their whole family.

I can't let that happen to Mum. Over my dead body.

After all, she was the one who took me in. She told me that she had found me at her doorstep, abandoned, alone and hungry. She felt sorry for me and took me in.

Of course, Bowser knew about it soon enough. He sends his Koopa armies to check on the villagers thrice a week.

I hope they don't find Luigi.

I look around at the other village child toads walking into the lair. They all look miserable.

I reach up and feel my orange scarf for comfort. Sighing, I enter the lair.

"Welcome, kids!" Bowser's booming voice rings out all around the large, empty, creepy-looking castle.

"Good morning, your Majesty," everyone choruses monotonously.

The castle shakes. "I can't HEAR YOU!"

"Good morning, your Majesty!" we yell.

I can imagine Bowser smirking from wherever he is. "Good. Now get into your groups and get to work!"

We rush to assemble in groups before leaving to our stations in the castle. The castle is like a big factory. It's really big, divided into 5 work sections.

The children in the 1st section work at cleaning the place. I feel sorry for them. As I said before, the castle is huge. They have a lot to do.

The children in the 2nd section work at making Bowser's products, The Koopa Kandy. I've never tasted the candy before, but it seems to be selling well. Unfortunately most of the money doesn't go to us villagers.

The children in the 4th section are all boys. They train to serve Bowser in the army when they grow up. I'm sure glad I'm not a boy...

The children in the 5th section are Bowser's personal servants. There aren't many. Unfortunately, I am one of them.

"Hey, Scarfy! Get into line!" A harsh yell snaps me back into reality. I feel a rough and pointy whip smack against my back. Wincing, I stumble into the line of toads.

The koopa who hit me is the leader of out group. He grunts and leads us to the main area of the castle, where Bowser sits on his throne.

We arrive at the steel doors leading to the main area, and they open with a heavy creaking noise. We step into the throne room cautiously.

Bowser is sitting on his throne, smiling evilly down at us. By his side is his faithful magikoopa servant, Kamek.

"Welcome, my servants," Bowser says.

"Good morning, your Mightiness," we reply simultaneously.

"You there," Bowser says abruptly, pointing at a green-spotted female toad in the front.

The toad's body tenses up as she looks up at Bowser. "Y-Y-Yes?" she squeaks.

"Go and fetch me something to eat!" Bowser commands.

The toad runs off towards the kitchen, looking extremely frightened.

One by one, Bowser instructs each toad in front of me to go do a certain chore. All of them run off scared out of their wits.

Finally, it's my turn.

"Why, hello there, Miss Scarfy," Bowser smirks.

I clench my fists. "...Yes, your Majesty?"

Bowser puts a hand to his chin and rubs it, pretending to be deep in thought.

"You will be my special assistant for the day," he says slowly.

I gulp. Bring it on, I think.

I nod and take my place beside his throne, loathing every second there.

The green-spotted toad from earlier returns with a silver platter. She's shaking so badly that she nearly drops it.

"H-H-Here is your food, your Highness," she stammers, raising the food up higher to Bowser. Her arms have cuts and bruises on them.

Bowser snatches the platter away violently, takes a look at the contents and throws it to the ground.

"How do you expect me to eat this slop? Get me REAL food, toad!" he bellows.

The toad flinches and runs back to the kitchen hastily.

I feel rage building rapidly inside of me. Mean didn't even begin to describe him.

As if he can read my thoughts, Bowser suddenly turns to me, a devious smile on his face. "Thinking of something, little girl?"

I glare at Bowser. "No," I say firmly.

"You know it's no use lying. I can sense your anger. But there's nothing you can do," Bowser replies coolly.

I stamp my foot on the ground, ready to explode in pure frustration. Bad idea.

Bowser's smile fades. He jabs a pointed thumb at me.

"Guards, this girl is being naughty!" he shouts.

My heartbeat accelerates as two guards grab my arms firmly and drag me out of the room.

"Bowser, you can't do this to me! I didn't do anything!" I scream.

The only response I get is another evil smile.

The guards take me to the Madhouse, as I call it. It's a torture room. We are brought here when we're "naughty".

The guards handcuff me to a long metal pole. Beside me are another two poles, with toad children also chained to them.

"Don't hurt us," the blue-spotted boy toad on the right whimpers.

"No," the yellow-spotted girl toad on the left whispers in pure fear.

The guards in the room smile devilishly. I can see that they are holding whips. Canes. Torture devices.

My stomach begins to churn and sweat trickles down my forehead. Guards stand behind each of us "naughty" servants, holding different weapons.

SNAP!

The girl on the left screams in pain as the whip slashes against her back.

PAK!

I cry out in sheer agony as I feel the cane hit my legs. The pain from the earlier whip was already more than I could take. Tears run down my face, and I can't stop them.

SNAP!

The boy on my right groans and makes crying noises.

PAK! SNAP! CRACK!

More lashes at my legs, more hits on the girl's back, more pain inflicted on the boy's body.

I crumble to the ground, my legs bleeding and in excruciating pain. I am longing to go home and stay there.

You're doing this for Mum. You're doing this for Mum.

I take deep breaths to calm myself, despite the searing pain in my legs.

"That's enough," a voice says gruffly.

The guards put away their weapons and free us from the poles.

All of us are panting heavily and hurting badly. Rough hands grab my aching arms, pull me up, and bring me back to Bowser's throne room. The other toads are brought back to their respective sections.

They throw me to the ground on my knees.

Bowser takes a look at me and narrows his eyes while smiling creepily again.

"Did you learn your lesson, you naughty girl?" he said mockingly.

I growl under my breath and give a curt nod. "Y...Yup..."

The guards kick me over to my place beside Bowser's throne again, where I stand, my legs struggling to keep me upright.

Over the next few hours, Bowser commands me to entertain him, give him food and find certain toads for him. I hate him so much.

At last, 7 hours have gone by, and Bowser dismisses us.

I barely survive the walk home, every step more painful than the next. Tears are flowing down my already tear-stained cheeks and blurring my vision.

I dry my eyes with my orange scarf. It still smells like clean clothes, even after today.

I see the toads that were in the Madhouse with me. They are sobbing hard, and their clothes are stained red.

A deep, blood red.

**Ooh. Torture. O.o Ick. Well sorry if this creeped you out, bye! :3**


	4. Lunchtime and Determination

**Yay my exams are over :D Well anyway here's a new chapter for TDD. :) This is in Luigi's POV! Hope you enjoy! R&R!**

The day drags by sluggishly. Mrs. Kice helps me patch my overalls and shirt, and repairs my cap. I in turn help her cook lunch for Cecilia when she returns.

"You really do have very little food," I murmur as I peer into the fridge, finding only a few vegetables, some fish, carrots and an apple.

Mrs. Kice sighs. "Yes, I'm aware. I'm sorry about that. Is there enough food to cook with?"

I nod. "Should be,"

I take some of the food and start cooking. The kitchen is a simple place, with a small stove, a fridge, a sink and a single counter. A cupboard in the corner holds utensils and plates.

Mrs. Kice is patching up my green hat, sitting at the dining table behind me.

There is a knock on the front door, and Mrs. Kice answers it.

I strain to hear the conversation outside while chopping the carrots.

"Hi Mum," Cecilia says.

"Cecilia, your legs...were you...naughty again?" Mrs. Kice replies, sounding worried.

"I swear, Mum. I didn't do anything," Cecilia sighs. "All I did was stamp my foot-"

"Any form of anger against Bowser greatly aggravates him. Go sit at the dining table and I'll fix you up, okay?" Mrs. Kice says gently. Then she calls, "Luigi, can I fix your hat later?"

"Sure," I call back.

Cecilia walks-or rather, limps into the kitchen. I take one look at her and nearly chop my fingers off.

There are long, bloody lines running across her legs and crimson red cuts on her arms.

"W-What...what happened?" I breathe. I'm beginning to feel dizzy at the sight of the blood.

Cecilia looks up at me with her big brown eyes and gives me a weak smile.

"Don't worry about me, Mr. Luigi..." she says softly while sitting down on a chair.

I swallow hard and return to cutting the carrots. Mrs. Kice comes back and cleans Cecilia's wounds. She bandages them and gives Cecilia a light kiss on the cheek.

"I'll be back in 7 hours, Luigi," she says as she leaves the house. I glance at the clock on the wall. It's 2pm.

The meal is done, and I divide it between Cecilia and I, giving Cecilia a bigger portion.

"Dig in," I smile.

Cecilia picks up her fork and plays around with the lettuce for a few seconds before eating.

I look at my half-plate of food. Should I leave it for Mrs. Kice? I'm not that hungry, anyway...

"So, Mr. Luigi, are you planning on...staying here?" Cecilia asks.

I rest my head in my hand. "Well...I don't want to be a burden. But I don't have anywhere else to stay..."

"Please stay," Cecilia pleads. "Please,"

I raise my arms defensively. "Okay, okay. I'll stay,"

Cecilia grins at me. "Heh. Sorry...I get a little lonely when Mum's at work,"

I smile at the girl and subconsciously take a bite of carrot.

We eat in silence. My gaze can't help but fall on the bandages on Cecilia's wrists. Her pink skin...ruined by that monster.

I grit my teeth. Bowser's gonna get it.

How am I going to get rid of Bowser? He's really powerful...maybe I should find Professor E. Gadd and seek his help.

If he's still around, though, I think sadly.

I've finished off half my food and decide to leave the rest for Mrs. Kice.

"Done?" I ask Cecilia. She glances at her empty plate and blushes.

"Um, yeah,"

I grin and dump her plate into the sink. I put some plastic wrap around my own leftovers and place it in the fridge.

I hear Cecilia walk out of the kitchen, leaving me in the silent, cosy room.

I ponder what I know while I scrub the dishes. I still can't believe I was frozen for that long. So technically, I'm 35, but I look and feel like a 25-year-old. That's kinda weird.

And how do I contact E. Gadd? I don't really remember his number.

I let out a sigh. "Maybe I'll just have to do this on my own,"

My hands are red and raw from scrubbing too hard while deep in thought. Wincing, I dry them and out away the plates. Then, I walk over to Cecilia's room. (Which is the room that I awoke this morning in.)

I knock on the door. "Cecilia?"

"Come in," a muffled voice comes from inside.

I open the door. Cecilia is sitting on her bed, twirling her scarf and reading a book.

"Hey, Mr. Luigi," she smiles at me and shuts her book. "Do you need anything?"

"Well, uh, frankly, I do, uh, need something." I stutter. "Do you know of a man called Professor E. Gadd?"

Cecilia's eyes brighten. "In fact, I do know of him. Why do you ask?"

"Do you know his address or contact number? I need to call him."

"He owns a tool shop downtown. Just walk down and you'll find it," she smiles. "Sometimes, I go to his shop and hang out with him when Mum's out."

"Aw, great!" I say excitedly.

"Just a question, Mr. Luigi. How do you know of him? He moved into Mushroom Kingdom when I was only eight." Cecilia asks.

"Well, he helped me rescue my brother once from this haunted mansion full of Boos." I shudder at the thought. "Um...yeah. And I thought that maybe he could give me some stuff to fight Bowser with."

Cecilia's jaw drops. "To fight Bowser with?!" she exclaims. "Bowser. Is. Indestructible! No one can lay a finger on him!"

She gestures to the bandages on her legs and arms. "HE did this to me. And I didn't even do anything. What if he does something even more horrible to you?" she cries, clenching her fists.

The determination in my heart doesn't fade away, though. It grows stronger.

"I don't care. He killed my brother. He made you all suffer. For years he's had his way. But now, I am going to stop him. I might need some help, and I might get myself killed, but I will do it." I say firmly.

The tension in the air lingers for about thirty seconds before it drops.

Cecilia's shoulders fall and she looks into my sapphire blue eyes. "Mr. Luigi, thank you." she smiles. "Since I was a little kid, I have been building sandcastles in the sky about someone swooping in and saving us all. And now you have come."

I smile broadly at her. "I promise I will do my best,"

What she says next startles me.

"I'm coming too,"

**Hmm. Well. Yeah. :P Stay tuned for the next chapter! Which will probably be up soon! :) **


	5. Lyra, The Silver Mouse

**Dis chapter is in Cecilia's POV :) Oh and I am adding a recap thingy of the last chapter in case you can't remember what happened last chapter. :P !**

The tension in the air lingers for about thirty seconds before it drops.

Cecilia's shoulders fall and she looks into Luigi's sapphire blue eyes. "Mr. Luigi, thank you." she smiles. "Since I was a little kid, I have been building sandcastles in the sky about someone swooping in and saving us all. And now you have come."

Luigi smiles broadly at her. "I promise I will do my best,"

But what she says next startles him.

"I'm coming too,"

* * *

It's now Luigi's turn to be bewildered.

"Cecilia, are you sure? It's very dangerous! Your mother will never allow it!" he exclaims.

"I'm positive. I hate Bowser more than anything else in the world. He's been so cruel, hurt all of us..."

The terrified faces of those toad kids and their bloody clothes flash before my eyes. Bowser's mocking face. Those torture devices.

"I know I shouldn't really feel this way, but I feel so...ugh. I don't want the next generation of kids to have to go through what I go through every day. I want to save them." I sigh.

Luigi is quiet for a while. Then, he winks and nods.

"I understand. You can come."

I smile. "Thank you, Mr. Luigi,"

Suddenly, there's a loud banging on the door. "Open up!" a gruff voice shouts.

I gasp. "Oh no! Mr. Luigi, you gotta hide!"

Luigi stares at me, confused. "But wh-"

"Just climb out of the window and hide outside!" I hiss as I run out of my room, closing the door behind me.

I open the door and see two koopa guards standing outside.

"Um, hello, sirs," I say, trying my best to sound nonchalant. "Is there anything you need?"

"Miss Cecilia Kice, it's time for the weekly inspection," one of the koopas murmurs. He pushes me aside and enters the house.

I gulp and follow them with my eyes. One of them walks into the kitchen and the other checks the bedrooms.

_Please don't find him, please don't find him, please don't..._

A few minutes pass. The two koopas return to the door.

"Your house has been inspected. Goodbye," they say simultaneously.

I gratefully close the door behind them. "Whew," I heave a sigh of relief. They didn't find him.

I walk into my room and head to the window. Peeking my head out, I see Luigi crouching down under the window, trembling.

"Mr. Luigi? You can come back in. They've gone," I whisper.

He quickly climbs back into the house.

"W-What was that all about?" he asks, brushing himself off.

"It's the weekly inspections. Bowser sends his guards to come check the houses for "new recruits" a couple times a week." I explain.

Luigi nods. "Oh, okay..."

"I think we'll have to go to E. Gadd's place tomorrow. It's too risky today. You might be caught." I say.

"Okay," Luigi says.

"By the way, Mr. Luigi, you'll be sleeping in my bedroom, on a mattress. Is that okay?" I ask.

"Beggars can't be choosers, can they?" Luigi grins, winking at me.

I giggle and sit on my bed.

"I guess I'll leave you alone for now," Luigi says. He walks to the door and smiles at me.

"Oh and Cecilia? Just Luigi is fine,"

"Heheh, okay, Luigi," I laugh.

Luigi leaves and I stretch out on my bed. Maybe I could take a quick nap before lunch.

I curl up on my bed and close my eyes, feeling glad. Finally, Bowser will get a taste of his own medicine...

"Squeak!"

I open an eye warily. What did I just hear?

I sit up and listen quietly. The squeak is heard again, and I get off my bed and look under it.

A small, silver mouse is staring back at me.

"Aw, hello, little cutie!" I squeal. Reaching out my hands, I cup them around the mouse and lift it out of the darkness. Strangely, it doesn't struggle or try to escape.

The mouse cocks its head and sniffs around. I smile.

It's so cute...

**Hey, who are ya calling cute?!**

"What?" I gasp, eyes widening as I look at the small rodent in my hands. Did that mouse just talk to me?

**Well, of course I did!**

"What...how...how is this possible?" I say, unbelievably.

**Cecilia, you got a special connection with us animals, ya know. My name is Lyra, and I've been living under your bed for the past two years.**

"No wonder our cheese decreased faster for those two years. But...why didn't you reveal yourself sooner? I was lonely all those times when Mum was at work!" I answer.

**Man, ya know how hard it is to get through to ya brain? It was like, covered with layers of negative emotion or whatever, so I couldn't communicate with ya!**

"Oh...really?" Guess I was more emo than I thought.

**Yep. But now, that Luigi person came, and now it's all clear! As long as you stay positive, I'll be able to talk to ya easily, no matter how far apart we are!**

"Wow, that's so cool!" I say, the smile returning to my face. "Awesome, then. You can read my thoughts too?"

**Well, yeah. But if you don't want me to, it's alright. I can focus on only your speech.**

"No, no, no. I'm cool with it," I reply.

So now I have a mouse buddy named Lyra. Oh man, this is so exciting!

Lyra and I talk telepathically for a bit, getting to know each other. She tells me she can eat all kinds of cheese, but likes Parmesan the most. I tell her about my life story, my mother, Luigi, and what we're planning on doing.

**Whoa. So y'all gonna save the world and stuff! That's brilliant!**

"Heh, yeah. But we need to seek E. Gadd's help first. I'll bet he knows what we'll need."

**You can do it, Cecilia! I'll be hoping for the best!**

"Thanks," I grin.

I look at the digital clock on the wall. It reads 4.07pm.

"Sorry Lyra, I gotta go take my shower now. Make yourself comfortable, okay? I'll be right back," I put Lyra on my bed and rub her tiny little head.

**Okay, see ya!**

I smile and go get some clean clothes and a towel.

* * *

**Aah! Cecilia, help me!**

"Lyra? Oh no..." I groan. I swiftly turn off the shower, dry myself, throw on some clothes and hurry out of the bathroom.

**Eek!**

Lyra's frightened cries echo in my head. I fling my bedroom door open and see Luigi running around with a broom, smacking it against the floor repeatedly.

"Come back here, you!" he shouts.

I catch a glimpse of silver sliding across the floor.

"Luigi, stop!" I exclaim.

Luigi stops in his tracks and stares at me. "Oh, Cecilia! You got a mouse in your room."

I quickly bend over and scoop Lyra up. "Yeah, but she's my friend. Luigi, meet Lyra."

Luigi turns red and he rubs the back of his neck. "Oh man...I'm s-sorry, Lyra,"

Lyra folds her small limbs.

**Hmph!**

I tell Luigi about the special connection I have with animals.

"Wow, that's awesome! Sorry for trying to hit you, Lyra." he says, smiling sheepishly.

**It's okay, I guess.**

"She said it's okay," I say.

Luigi grins. "Great! Okay, guess I'd better go prepare dinner now. See ya,"

He leaves, and I'm alone in the room with Lyra again.

I make a small bed for Lyra on my bedside table using my old handkerchief and some old socks I don't wear anymore.

"Hope you like it," I say.

Lyra sniffs the pile of cloth before snuggling up on it.

**Thanks, Cecilia!**

"No probs,"

**Heh. :D Lyra only talks in bold, kay? :3 Okay, yeah. R&R! I'm going to bed now! Bye! ^_^**


	6. Thunder and Lightning

**HOLY BALONEY MY EXAMS ARE IN LESS THAN A MONTH! So..yeah. I won't be updating, is all. Just thought I'd give you a last chapter before I leave :( This is Luigi's POV. Sorry for short chapter! And for the inconvenience! The potion is a reference to my other story, Hotel Shampoo. Pretend that you-know-who didn't use it :P**

LAST TIME ON THE DARKEST DAY...

I make a small bed for Lyra on my bedside table using my old handkerchief and some old socks I don't wear anymore.

"Hope you like it," I say.

Lyra sniffs the pile of cloth before snuggling up on it.

**Thanks, Cecilia!**

"No probs,"

* * *

"Good night, Cecilia. I'll be in bed in a while, alright?" I say.

It's 8.30pm. Bit early for an 11-year-old to go to bed, but Cecilia told me she needs to sleep early so that she can get up the next day for...work.

I'm standing beside Cecilia's bed, looking down at her.

The brown haired girl snuggles down in her bed. "Okay. Good night, Luigi," she yawns.

"Night," I whisper as I kill the lights and close the door quietly. And now I am ready to work.

Reaching into my pocket, I feel around for a small bottle. I clasp my fingers around it, smiling. The unfinished potion. I was working on it for a while until the day Mario and I went to fight Bowser.

Until the day I went into a 10-year-long coma, that is...

I shake my head. Gotta focus. I take out the small shampoo bottle, observing it for cracks or anything.

"I'm gonna need some more stuff to make this work," I mutter. This is going to be the potion to end Bowser.

I remembered I had the potion this evening at dinner. It was a great idea! But I have a limited amount of potion, and I don't know what I had used to make it in the past. I have to protect it.

I take the potion to the bathroom and gather a few things I would need. Lotion, bits of cloth, etc. Then, I sit down in the middle of the room and put each ingredient into the potion, mixing it up with the end of my toothbrush (that Cecilia had to go out and specially get).

The potion turns a pink colour, signalling that I was on the right track. I smile and wipe the sweat off my brow.

"Now, for a little thunder and lightning," I say to myself.

Summoning my Thunderhand ability, I shoot a tiny ball of thunder into the mixture, turning it darker pink. Then, I stand up and walk to the kitchen. Unplugging the fridge for a second, I rip out my button from my overalls and use it to get the electricity into the mixture.

The potion turns orange now. So far, so good. I can feel adrenaline rushing through my veins as I think of my potion being successful.

"I hope it works," I sigh.

Just then, the door unlocks, Mrs. Kice comes in, holding bags of groceries.

"Good evening, Mrs. Kice," I say politely, screwing the cap onto the bottle and slipping it into my pocket.

"Hi, Luigi," Mrs. Kice smiles as she walks into the kitchen to put away the food. "Is Cecilia asleep?"

"Probably," I reply.

Mrs. Kice nods. "Okay, I can help you fix your cap now," she says.

I shake my head. "You must be tired, you should go rest," I say, only just noticing red slashes on her arms. Mrs. Kice sees me looking and blushes.

"Alright. Thank you, Luigi," she says, sounding grateful. I grin knowingly and head to the bathroom to wash up.

* * *

_"Mario...Mario, what are you doing?" I yelled. Sweat dripped down my forehead and my heart was ricocheting against my chest._

_I had a noose tightly around my neck, nearly strangling me. I was standing on a chair in a dim, grey room. My brother stood beside me._

_Mario said nothing. He simply stated at me. His eyes were blood red, with no pupil, as if he were possessed. He smirked and put his foot against the chair I stood on._

_I could feel tears flowing down my face. "Don't do it!" I cried._

_"Too late, little brother," Mario said. His voice was low and demonic. It couldn't have belonged to him._

_A swift kick of the chair, and I felt the noose tighten dangerously around my neck. I was suspended! I kicked and and screamed, my hands spontaneously grabbing the rope, trying not to let it kill me._

_"Mario...why..." I gasped, needing air that wouldn't come. My brother-if he even was my brother-still didn't respond._

_Then the lights came on fully. My eyes widened when I saw Cecilia being lowered into a boiling pit of lava by some chains. She was struggling furiously, a cloth covering her mouth._

_"Cecilia," I breathed. "I...I'm sorry for...letting you...down..."_

_Cecilia turned to look at me, terrified. Blood trickled down her forehead from an open wound. At that moment, the cloth fell off, tumbling down into the lava._

_"I thought you would save us!" Cecilia screamed. "Mum's dead because of you, and now we're all gonna die!"_

_"Don't...say...that..." I whispered, feeling light-headed._

_Cecilia began to sob as she was lowered deeper and deeper towards the lava. Darkness tugged at the corners of my vision and I could feel life slipping away oh so quickly..._

_The last thing I heard was Cecilia's agonised cry_.

I jerk upwards, my body rigid from fear and shock. Panting, I glance around hurriedly. Thankfully, I am no longer dying. It's dark, but I can make out the figure of Cecilia sleeping on her bed, snoring softly.

I take a deep breath to calm myself. It was just a dream. Just a dream.

I look back at Cecilia. Would she have really said those things to me? If I failed her, she'd die, Mrs. Kice would die, Bowser would rule with an iron fist...

I bury my head in my hands, feeling the weight of everything I knew on my shoulders. That girl and her mother were counting on me. So was everyone else. The whole of Mushroom Kingdom was depending on me.

I feel my heart thumping so loudly inside my chest I am sure that if Cecilia was awake, she could hear it. And maybe Lyra too.

I withdraw my hands and sigh. I need more sleep. As I lie back down on the mattress, I think of if Mario were still here. He'd comfort me, tell me everything was going to be okay. He'd make sure I was sound asleep before leaving. He'd pat my shoulder if I was scared. He'd be there for me.

Mario, I need you. Why did you have to go?

A tear rolls down my cheek. I sniff. I can't do this! It's too much pressure! But I can't let Cecilia down. She's suffered too much.

Troubled, I fall into fitful slumber.

**Hope you enjoyed! R&R! Again, I'm sorry for the not so interesting filler chapter! **


	7. The Baby and the Note

******Yay. New chappie. ^^ It's kinda boring though...oh well. Next chapter will be up in the next ten minutes or so xD Enjoy!**

LAST TIME ON THE DARKEST DAY...

I withdraw my hands and sigh. I need more sleep. As I lie back down on the mattress, I think of if Mario were still here. He'd comfort me, tell me everything was going to be okay. He'd make sure I was sound asleep before leaving. He'd pat my shoulder if I was scared. He'd be there for me.

Mario, I need you. Why did you have to go?

A tear rolls down my cheek. I sniff. I can't do this! It's too much pressure! But I can't let Cecilia down. She's suffered too much. I can't let her see me like this.

Troubled, I fall into fitful slumber.

* * *

**Cecilia.**

**Cecilia, get up!**

"Unnggh," I groan as I blink open my eyes. Lyra is sitting on my blanket, staring at me with her dark eyes. I sit up and rub mine, yawning.

"Did you sleep well?" I ask quietly, so I won't wake Luigi up.

Lyra nods and points to her stomach.

**Feed me.**

I sigh and swing my legs over the side of the bed. Checking my clock, it's about 4.30am now. The time that I usually wake up. I look at Luigi sleeping soundly on the mattress before me.

Smiling, I find some clean clothes, change, brush my teeth, and head outside to the kitchen. Mum is not awake yet, so I make my own breakfast.

After getting some bread(Mum must have gotten it last night), I spread some margarine over it and take a bite. Not too flavourful, but it doesn't matter.

I tear off a small piece of bread and give it to Lyra before putting the bread back into its original position.

It's 5am. My work starts at 6am.

"Come on, Lyra. Let's go outside," I say, wrapping my scarf tighter around my neck. Lyra looks up from where she is on the kitchen counter, nibbling on the bread. She quickly shoves the remaining into her tiny mouth and hops onto my shoulder.

I unlock the door and step outside into the cold, crisp morning air. It's just like when I found Luigi yesterday. The snowflakes fall slowly from the dark sky.

**You always come out here, don't you?**

"Yeah," I answer. "It's always peaceful out, in the early morning,"

**Yup.**

A strong gust of wind blows past and I rub my hands together, shivering.

**Brr...are you okay?**

"Y-Yeah," I reply, rubbing my bandaged arms. It's way too cold out for just a scarf, long-sleeved shirt and shorts.

I wonder about how Mum will react when I tell her about Lyra.

**I hope she doesn't hit me with a broom too.**

Lyra's voice interrupts my thoughts. "Haha, yeah," I laugh.

I trudge around in the snow for a bit, bored and thinking about Professor Gadd. Does he still remember Luigi? I could ask him...oh wait, but we're going there later anyway. I come to a small pile of snow and grin. This is where I buried the stick which I used to find Luigi.

**Maybe you should try digging with it again, Cece! I mean, the last time you did, it led us to Luigi. You might find something good again!**

"You call me Cece now?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I took the stick and found another pile of snow. I dug and dug, and soon, I hit something hard.

I brush the snow away carefully again. Turns out I hit a small bottle full of tiny dark blue pearls. They sparkle like diamonds under the glow of the lamp posts.

"Cool," I smile. "But what does this do?" Figuring it may come in handy sometime, I pick the bottle up and stuff it into my pocket. Just in case.

**Maybe Professor Gadd can do something about it.**

"Maybe," I reply. After digging around more for a bit longer, I don't find anything else unusual, so I go back into the house. The warmth of the house envelopes me. It's a nice change from being out in the cold morning air.

Luigi is sitting on the couch. He grins at me. "Hey, Cecilia and Lyra,"

"Hello," I greet him politely. Lyra squeaks. "Luigi, check this out," I say, pulling the bottle out of my pocket.

Luigi takes the bottle and examines it. He gasps.

"These...these are healing crystals! When swallowed, they regenerate your strength and heal your wounds in a short time. These may prove useful to us." Luigi says.

My eyes widen in amazement. "Cool!" I say again. "You mean people actually swallow these things?"

Luigi smiles. "Sure do. Where did you find this?"

"Outside our house. I used the same stick I used to find you." I explain. Luigi nods.

"Oh, okay..."

I look up at the clock on the wall. It reads 5.13am. "Why'd you get up so early, Luigi? There's no need to, you know." I ask.

Luigi looks downcast. "Well...I had this dream...and it made me feel really stressed. Like the whole world is counting on me. Then I couldn't sleep very well so I got up." he admits.

I bite my lip. "I'm sorry. Wanna talk about it?"

Luigi smiles sadly. "You see..."

* * *

"That must have been horrible," I sigh.

Luigi sniffs. "It's okay. I will defeat Bowser. And I will avenge my brother. I will save you all. Even if it kills me." he says with determination evident in his voice.

**Sure is a fighter, ain't he?**

I nod. "Don't forget, I'm coming too. To save Mushroom Kingdom."

Just then, the bedroom door opens, and my mother walks out, yawning.

"Good morning, Cecilia. And Luigi too," she smiles.

"Good morning, Mum," I reply.

"Good morning, Mrs. Kice," Luigi says.

"Please Luigi, no need to be so formal. You can call me Kristine." Mum says.

Luigi is a bit dumbfounded for a second, but quickly replies. "Okay, Kristine. Sorry."

"It's fine," she says, going into the kitchen.

She makes two small sandwiches for Luigi and herself. "It's not much, but please enjoy," she says warmly, bringing the food to Luigi.

He grins and takes it. "Thanks,"

"Cecilia, you have already eaten, right?" Mum asks me. I nod in response.

"Lyra has, too," I smile.

Mum looks confused. "Who's Lyra?"

I remember that I haven't told Mum about Lyra yet. I point to the small silver mouse on my shoulder. "Mum, this is Lyra. Lyra, meet Mum."

"Is that a mouse?" Mum asks, her mouth curling into a sweet smile.

**Hi, Mrs. K!**

"She says hi," I say. Lyra squeaks in response.

Mum then gives me a knowing look. "And I suppose you can speak with her telepathically, am I right?"

"How did you know?" I ask curiously.

Mum smiles again and she sits down on the couch beside Luigi. "When I found you on the doorstep 11 years ago, there was a note attached to the basket. It read, 'To whomever it may concern, this baby now belongs to you. If you take care of it, something amazing will happen in your life. If you do not, all will remain the same. It is your choice. This baby also possesses a special connection with animals. She may be able to communicate with them when she grows older. Again, it is your choice if you would like to give this baby a future.'"

"Wow..." I muse.

"Of course, even if there hadn't been that note, I would have taken you in anyway. You were just a baby, and you didn't deserve to have a bad future." Mum sighs. "Of course, our future is kinda bad now..."

I shake my head. "It's okay, Mum. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be Bowser's eternal slave or something." I say.

Luigi sniffs and wipes his eyes. "You're a good mother," he says, looking up at Mum with watery blue eyes. Mum just smiles back.

I look at the green-clad former plumber, weeping and eating sandwiches on the couch. There's this feeling about him that I just can't shake. Something that tells me we are going to win.

Luigi, you don't have to be stressed about saving the world. I know we can do it. I believe in you.

**I believe in him too.**

I smile and pat Lyra's small head.

**Okay... C: R&R please! Thx!**


	8. The Plan and Weapons

LAST TIME ON THE DARKEST DAY...

I look at the green-clad former plumber, weeping and eating sandwiches on the couch. There's this feeling about him that I just can't shake. Something that tells me we are going to win.

Luigi, you don't have to be stressed about saving the world. I know we can do it. I believe in you.

I believe in him too.

I smile and pat Lyra's small head.

* * *

"Ready to go?" I ask, hoisting a red backpack onto my back.

"Just wait a bit!" Cecilia calls from her bedroom. I look at the clock on the wall. It's about 2pm. Cecilia and I are about to leave for Professor Gadd's place. Mrs. Kice-I mean, Kristine, made a small red bag for me, to get the necessary supplies. Yes, she already knows...

I'm glad that it's red. It reminds me of Mario.

"Okay, let's go," Cecilia says, appearing beside me again. Her chocolate brown eyes are shining with excitement. Other than her usual getup, she is also equipped with a dark blue sling bag. Lyra sits on her shoulder.

I nod and we exit the house through Cecilia's bedroom window. Kristine says that I can't afford to be seen. There are koopas stationed nearly everywhere, so we travel in shadows behind houses. Finally, we get to Professor Gadd's house/shop.

Cecilia knocks on the back door four times, and soon, a little old man answers the door. He is short and has a small tuft of hair on his almost bald head. His spectacles have swirls on them, and he is wearing a white lab coat and black trousers.

"Well, well. It's Cecilia!" he smiles at the brown-haired girl, then turns to me. His eyes widen in shock.

"Hmmmm...Luigi? Is that really you?" he says, sounding surprised. I grin.

"In the flesh," I reply, extending my hand. "Long time no see, Professor,"

"By golly, it is you! I thought Bowser finished you a decade ago!" Professor Gadd grins and shakes my hand. "Come in, come in,"

We walk through the door into a small room. I look around, observing my surroundings. The floor is covered with wooden planks, and the walls are a dirty white. In one corner is The Professor's bed. In another far corner is a small chest of drawers and a closet. Directly opposite that is a somewhat large workbench, with lots of spare parts and tools on it. There's also a box of clothes beside that. And not far from that is a wooden door.

"Is this...where you live?" I ask in wonder.

Professor Gadd nods. "Yes. It's not much, but feel free to make yourself at home. I don't open for another hour." he says with a twinkle in his eye. I nod. Man, Bowser is quite a terrible ruler. He could at LEAST give his citizens suitable housing.

"Professor, we've come to ask for something," Cecilia begins. "Luigi and I are going to bring down Bowser, and we need some equipment."

Gadd shakes his head sadly. "Bowser is undefeatable. Even with the top quality of my weapons, you would only stand a chance." he says gravely.

"Please," I beg. "I'm going to do whatever I can to help you all, and I don't care if it kills me."

Gadd smiles. "Alright, young'un. Just hold on."

He walks to the closet and opens the doors, revealing more sets of white coats. He pushes them aside, revealing a small compartment in the closet. Gadd then opens the compartment and pulls out another cardboard box.

"Here," he says, setting the box in the middle of the room. Cecilia, Lyra and I gather around the box, eager to see its contents. Gadd opens the box. Inside, I see the Poltergust 3000, a ray gun, and a shuriken shooter.

"Whoa," Cecilia gasps in amazement. Lyra hops off her shoulder and walks about the stuff. Gadd smiles at her. I stare at the things in awe. That Poltergust has been around for as long as I can remember. I wonder if it still works.

"This is my best working equipment. Luigi, you know the Poltergust. It can suck up ghosts and shoot different elements. The ray gun can shoot right through metal, and the shuriken shooter releases shuriken stars at your opponent. Stars not included." The Professor explains.

"So we can use these things?" I inquire, picking up the ray gun and examining it.

"They're all yours," Gadd replies, rising. "Now, I have to open my shop. You'd better take the things and leave, Luigi. Who knows what could happen here," he says.

Cecilia fist pumps. "Thank you, Professor! Thank you so much!" she says cheerfully. Gadd waves at us before going into his shop.

"Time to jet," I tell Cecilia, stuffing the items into my backpack. She nods, picks up Lyra and we leave through the back door and make our way home again, with new hope and determination in our hearts.

"Yay, we made it," Cecilia says, dumping her bag on the floor beside her bed. I give a curt nod.

"So, when are we going to do this?" I ask. Cecilia looks at me, then shrugs.

"Dunno. Umm...Bowser is having his ten-year ruling anniversary in two weeks, so maybe we should crash his party." she says with a smirk.

"Okay. I'll try to come up with a battle plan." I say, a plan already forming in my head. Cecilia grins and gently runs her finger along the new cuts she got from today's "work".

"There's paper on the desk over there," she adds, pointing. I thank her and grab the green notebook on her desk. Taking a pen, I write:

_THE PLAN_

_1. Wait until everyone is gathered in the main room of Bowser's castle._

_2. When Bowser is about to start the celebration, Cecilia will alert me. In the meantime, I will get rid of every guard I can find with the shuriken star shooter._

_3. After the alert, I will then enter the main room of the castle and attack Bowser by shooting him with the Poltergust. Cecilia will also attack with the ray gun._

_4. After Bowser is weakened, I will use the potion on him. The potion will send him to another dimension, where he will be unable to hurt anyone._

_5._

I stop there. My mind goes blank. Who is going to rule after Bowser is defeated? Maybe Peach is still alive somewhere, and can take over. Or maybe she is really Bowser's slave and will rule again when he is no more.

"Hey, Cecilia. What happened to Peach after that incident?" I ask.

Cecilia thinks for a bit before replying, "Bowser forced her to marry him, I think. She's probably locked in the castle somewhere."

"'Kay," I respond and turn back to the notebook.

_5. Free Princess Peach and restore peace to Mushroom Kingdom._

"You're going down, Bowser," I smile evilly as I rip the piece of paper out of the notebook.


	9. How Can I Be Happy?

**Hey guys, sorry about the slight lack of detail in this chapter, the exams are getting to me :( Sorry! R&R! And enjoy!**

LAST TIME ON THE DARKEST DAY...

"Hey, Cecilia. What happened to Peach after that incident?" I ask.

Cecilia thinks for a bit before replying, "Bowser forced her to marry him, I think. She's probably locked in the castle somewhere."

"'Kay," I respond and turn back to the notebook.

_5. Free Princess Peach and restore peace to Mushroom Kingdom._

"You're going down, Bowser," I smile evilly as I rip the piece of paper out of the notebook.

* * *

Luigi explains the plan to me patiently and as calmly as he can. Excitement is evident in his voice, and some of it starts to rub off on me.

"That's a really good idea, Luigi!" I praise, smiling widely. "On the big day, I'll put the ray gun into my bag and take it with me. I'll also take the pearls. You can stay stationed outside the castle, but you have to stay hidden. Bowser's guards will deal with you harshly if you don't." I warn.

"You take the Poltergust, shuriken shooter and potion. Travel light, and stay quiet and quick." I say. Luigi nods.

"Yes ma'am," he grins.

I giggle.

What do you think, Lyra?

**I think it's quite good. Luigi's a real good planner!**

"We have fourteen days. Should we, I don't know, train or something?" I ask. I want to be ready for the big day. Nothing can go wrong.

"That sounds like a good idea," Luigi smiles, getting up into a battle stance. I set Lyra onto my bed and do the same.

"Ladies first," he says.

My chocolate brown eyes twinkle and I dash over and deliver a solid jab to Luigi's shoulder. Immediately, his arm goes limp.

Luigi's sapphire blue eyes widen. "What the...how'd you do that?"

"Chi-blocking," I smile mischievously. "I've been practicing. It loosens up the muscles in a particular area so that part of the body can't move," I explain while dodging a few of Luigi's attacks with his other limbs.

"Nice," he smiles. Determination shines in his eyes.

We duke it out for a while until Luigi gives me new bruises on my legs and arms.

"Okay, break-time," I announce, rubbing the sore parts. Luigi averts his gaze.

"Sorry," he sighs. "Guess I should've gone easy, huh?"

"Well, not on the big day. Bowser's guards are big, strong and scary. They're rough and have absolutely no feelings of regret or sadness. None at all." I spit out these last words with a vengeance.

Luigi nods. "Right,"

* * *

Days pass. The torture grows worse and more painful. Every day is like a living nightmare, with blood everywhere, wounds all over, and evil smirks and grins.

A week after we get the weapons, Bowser summons me to his throne in the middle of work.

"Cecilia!" he barks. I take a deep breath to control my irritation.

"Yes, your Highness?" I ask as calmly as I can.

"You seem more...joyful this past week," Bowser says, his crimson red eyes glinting with evil. "That is unacceptable here in my lair. Only I am allowed to be joyful in this place! Pray tell, what makes you happy?" he asks, glaring at me.

I tug at my scarf. "It is nothing, Lord Bowser," I reply firmly, showing no sign of happiness. "Not a thing. I must admit, your torture has been much unbearable these past days. How can I be happy?" I say, my cocoa-brown eyes on the Koopa King.

Bowser keeps his eyes fixed on my small figure. "You have a point, dear Scarfy. Fine, I will let you go. But the next time I catch even a hint of happiness on your ugly little face..."

He leans down, his face closer to my own. I can feel his hot breath against my chest and swallow quietly.

"...I will make you talk," he says, his voice dangerously quiet. I nod obediently.

"Yes, Lord Bowser," I answer.

He shoos me out of his throne room, and on the way out, I feel something sharp and long strike my back, stinging the wounds already on my scarred back. I groan and stumble out into the kitchen.

_How can I be happy?_ I repeat my words in my mind as I resume my work preparing Bowser's lunch. I can't believe what he eats. Fried Koopa shells with this brownish "sauce" and meat. Ugh. I don't even want to know what that sauce is.

"Hurry up, kid!" A rough fist punches my shoulder forcefully. I wince and grit my teeth, not daring to turn away from the so-called food I am preparing.

"U-Um, excuse me," a timid voice comes from beside me. I turn and see a small mushroom girl with short blonde hair and silver spots.

"What is it, little girl?" I ask gently. She shakily points to the...thing I am making.

"I-I have to br-bring this to B-Bowser," she stammers. I smile sadly and nod.

"Sure," I reply, taking the plate and handing it to the girl. She hastily walks off to the throne room. I sigh. One of the reasons I hate Bowser, is he makes innocent children do his bidding. Innocent, little children.

_Pathetic_, I mouth to myself as I clean some other plates lying around, looking to keep myself busy.

_Just pathetic_.

* * *

As I walk home that afternoon, I notice signs and decorations hung about Mushroom Kingdom.

Or...if you want to call them decorations.

They're orange, black and red signs that read, "TEN-YEAR RULING". Black and red lanterns, with Bowser's symbol printed on it. Even some Koopa skulls are hung about.

**Cece, stop!**

I quickly freeze in my tracks, looking down. Lyra is sitting at my feet, raising her tiny hands protectively. I'm at home.

"Sorry, Lyra," I smile as I bend down and pick her up. I step into the house.

Luigi is watching TV in the living room, fingering his green hat, his sapphire blue eyes fixed on the screen. Beside him sits Mum, looking calm.

"Hey Cecilia," he smiles. Mum gives me an acknowledging nod.

"How was work?" she asks, her jet black eyes sad suddenly. I shrug.

"Oh you know, the usual. A punch here, a whip there," I say nonchalantly. Mum sighs.

"Cecilia, be serious," she says. I smile playfully.

"Okay. Bowser asked me why I was so joyful or whatever nowadays, but I didn't tell him about you, Luigi," I say. "He's so...ugh."

Luigi looks sympathetic. "Oh,"

Mum examines my wounds before leaving for work. I sit down beside Luigi.

"Whatcha watching?" I ask curiously.

"Cooking With Lemmy Koopa," he says. I giggle.

"Never knew Lemmy could cook," I comment.

"He can't," Luigi groans. "See how he's putting in the salt? Into custard? Really?!" he exclaims, exasperated. Lyra and I laugh.

Oh, Luigi...


	10. The Cake is a Lie

**Yay, new chapter :D Big stuff revealed here! And again, sorry about the slight shortness! Please review and hope you enjoy! :)**

LAST TIME ON THE DARKEST DAY...

"Whatcha watching?" I ask curiously.

"Cooking With Lemmy Koopa," he says. I giggle.

"Never knew Lemmy could cook," I comment.

"He can't," Luigi groans. "See how he's putting in the salt? Into custard? Really?!" he exclaims, exasperated. Lyra and I laugh.

Oh, Luigi...

* * *

"Remember the plan," I wink at Cecilia. She smiles back and nods.

"Yes sir!" she giggles. "Ready, Lyra?"

The silver mouse in Cecilia's scarf squeaks enthusiastically. Mrs. Kice is standing beside her, ready to go.

"Please be careful, Luigi," she says, looking at me with urgency in her black eyes.

"I will, Kristine," I promise. She gives me an encouraging nod and leaves with Cecilia and Lyra.

12 noon. I should leave in a while.

"Come one, come all! To King Bowser's Ten-Year anniversary!" A loud voice booms over the loudspeaker from Bowser's castle. "Come or prepare to perish!"

I shiver and hide under Cecilia's bed to avoid being detected by any koopa guards. The noise outside gradually dies down. Peeking out, I make sure the coast is clear.

"Okay, I have everything," I say to myself, checking my bag. The Poltergust takes up majority of my red backpack, leaving the shuriken shooter and potion with nearly no space in it. I pull out the precious potion and stuff it into my pocket instead.

"I'm ready," I smile to myself.

I climb out of Cecilia's bedroom window, being careful not to fall onto the grass below. The city is deserted. The only thing I hear is Bowser's booming voice from the castle. I wonder what he is telling them.

Slipping quietly behind houses, I keep alert and watch out for Koopa guards. So far, so good.

Suddenly, I feel an evil presence behind me. Without hesitation, I whip out the shuriken shooter and fire behind me. Whirling around, I see that I've taken down a Koopa guard. The bloody shuriken was stabbed straight into his heart.

I walk over and yank the shuriken out, trying to remain calm even with all that blood. Gulping slightly, I shove the shuriken into the shooter and sprint closer to the castle.

I need to hurry.

* * *

Zing! Zing! Zing!

I attack more Koopa guards advancing on me as soon as I step into the foyer of the castle. The main room isn't far now. Bowser's castle is really dark and creepy. The walls have Koopa and Goomba engravings on them, sending chills down my spine.

I swiftly run towards the fallen guards and yank out the shurikens, reloading them into the shooter. They're getting bloodier and bloodier, and I'm starting to feel more and more faint.

I just hope I can hold on long enough.

"And now, let the celebration..." I hear Bowser's voice from the other side of the large door.

"Luigi, he's going to start," I hear Cecilia's voice come in on the walkie-talkie. It's crackling so much I can barely make out what she says, but I know what's happening anyway.

"Freeze, Bowser!" I yell as I turn on the Poltergust and burn the door down in a split second. All heads turn to me, eyes wide with fear and shock. I catch a glimpse of glinting brown eyes.

"Luigi, my old friend," Bowser says, narrowing his crimson red eyes. I point the Poltergust at him defensively, but I can feel myself quaking in my shoes and my heart ricocheting against my chest.

Suddenly, a hand holding a ray gun shoots up and blasts Bowser in the chest. At the same time, I run through the crowd, shooting flames from the Poltergust and attacking the guards all around me at the same time.

Screams of agony and shrieks of terror fill the room. Suddenly the room is engulfed in smoke. My eyes start to water and my throat goes dry.

"Cecilia! Where are you!?" I scream desperately. I feel small hands grip my arm.

"Here, Luigi!" Cecilia says. Lyra gives a squeak to make sure she is accommodated for too.

"Good." I say. "He could be anywhere, stay vigilant,"

Cecilia and I walk together. I have the Poltergust ready, and the shuriken shooter. Cecilia holds the ray gun out defensively.

A few guards emerge from the smoke. Without giving it a second thought, I switch the Poltergust to ice mode and freeze them while Cecilia shoots with the ray gun.

The smell of metal fills the air and my face blanches. Cecilia holds me steady.

"Luigi, you can't faint now! Close your nose!" she shouts while bringing down more guards. I hurriedly shake my head and return to attacking with the shurikens.

Finally, the smoke clears. I see the Toads of all shapes and sizes around us, murmuring and whispering. Some are cheering for us.

"There, Luigi!" Cecilia points to the fallen Koopa King, who is lying on his side. I nod and we rush forward.

I get ready to use the potion, but I stop in my tracks. My heart skips a beat and my azure blue eyes widen as I take in what's in front of me.

There, lies Bowser, his chest shot open,revealing a cockpit inside. Sparks fly from Bowser's eyes and limbs. I look down at a piece of yellow metal beside my foot.

"Bowser's...a...a robot?" Cecilia gasps.

I clench my fist. I need to find out who's behind all this. I drop the potion safely into my pocket again and climb into Bowser's...cockpit, I guess.

It looks just like the inside of a submarine or something, with a seat in the middle and a widely spread control panel around it. I examine the interior. Everything's broken and torn, the control panel is fusing, but the seat is still upright.

I sit on it, sighing. Was my whole life a lie?

Suddenly, I catch a glimpse of something and gasp. I stare at it, unable to comprehend its presence. What!? Why!? My heartbeat accelerates as I grab it and clutch it in my hand.

"Cecilia," I say darkly as I walk out. Cecilia looks at me, concern spreading over her face like a virus. Her eyes fly to the object in my hand, and her cocoa eyes widen.

"Y-Yes?" she asks quietly.

"Where is Daisy Sarasa?"

**And why would Luigi want to know that? :O**


	11. Spiders!

**Hi :) Sorry for the slightly shorter chapter! Hope you enjoy, please R&R!**

LAST TIME ON THE DARKEST DAY...

Suddenly, I catch a glimpse of something and gasp. I stare at it, unable to comprehend its presence. What!? Why!? My heartbeat accelerates as I grab it and clutch it in my hand.

"Cecilia," I say darkly as I walk out. Cecilia looks at me, concern spreading over her face like a virus. Her eyes fly to the object in my hand, and her cocoa eyes widen.

"Y-Yes?" she asks quietly.

"Where is Daisy Sarasa?"

* * *

I can't explain it, but Luigi seems to have grown more distant since we defeated "Bowser". He's much more quiet, brave and alert.

We walk down a narrow passage that Luigi knew of in the castle. The toads in town, including my mother, have all been moved back home and have been advised to be on high alert and be ready in case there are still koopas lingering around anywhere.

Which there shouldn't since Luigi was so furious he knocked out every guard he could find on the first level of the castle. It scared me, seeing him so violent.

The only sounds I hear are our footsteps against the concrete floor and light flickering of the torches that flank the passageway. Lyra is nestled in my scarf, silent as a mouse. I glance conspicuously beside me at the green-clad former plumber, who is staring straight ahead, his face impassive. I feel bad for him.

His one true love has become the queen of evil.

Lyra's startled voice interrupts my thoughts.

**Cece, there's a guard-**

Zing! Without even looking back, Luigi aims his shuriken shooter behind him and presses the eject button without batting an eyelid.

I hear a dull thud behind me, and whip around. On the floor lies a Koopa guard, the shuriken directly in his chest, blood flowing out and forming a small puddle on the floor.

I begin to walk back to retrieve the shuriken, but Luigi stops me.

"We don't need it,"

My anxious coffee-brown eyes search his sapphire ones, trying to read his feelings. Still emotionless.

"O-Okay," I reply, turning back and continuing.

We arrive at a steel door. I pull out the ray gun and neatly carve a circle out of the door, big enough for Luigi and me to get through. I step in first and survey the area.

We are in a huge, fancy-looking room. Sky-high bookshelves line two of the walls and a large chandelier hangs from the ceiling. Light shines in from a single window that covers nearly a whole wall, illuminating the whole room. A desk in the middle of the room stands on top of a faded, floral rug. And on the last wall, hangs a huge sign with the letter D on it.

Luigi says nothing, but walks straight to the nearest bookshelf and runs his finger over the dusty books. How long have these been here?

I remove a red book from the shelf and read the cover. Some of the words are faded.

Ha...he Bat...is...on.

I flip the book open and mindlessly skim through the pages. Most of the pages are yellowing and dog-eared.

Returning the book to its original place, I take another book. This one is lighter though, even though it looks thick. The cover reads, Life Will Go On.

But when I try to open the book, it seems glued shut. Then a realisation strikes me. I open the book from the back page, revealing that the book has been hollowed out, leaving a secret compartment inside.

All I see inside is a note, a ring, and a small jewel necklace.

"Luigi, you gotta check this out," I say, walking over to him. When I show him the book's contents, he lets out a soft gasp.

"That's...Peach's necklace. And her ring," he starts slowly. He grabs the note and reads. It seems to have been written in a hurry, the handwriting is nearly illegible.

"In these steel bars I lie,

Almost about to die.

The answer is in the enemy,

Whose troops surround me evilly.

I have nowhere to run,

please let me see the sun.

From, Peach,"

"We gotta go save her," I whisper, taking the necklace and ring. I slip the necklace over my head, and the ring on my finger. It fits perfectly.

"No one will notice them," I say. "We must hurry.

Luigi nods and we start looking for another door in hope that it will lead us closer to wherever Daisy is.

Or even better, Peach.

* * *

The door we find leads us to another hallway. As soon as we step in, I feel something crawl up my leg.

"Spiders!" I shriek, jumping back and shaking my leg in panic.

**Cece, calm down!**

Luigi grabs me and pulls me onto his shoulders. He seems unfazed by the disgusting creepy crawlies. I have a huge phobia of spiders, and I can feel my heart ricochet against my chest as Luigi dashes through the hallway. Surprisingly, I don't hear any spider-squishing being done.

Instead of focusing on the spiders, I try to keep a look out for any other doors. Soon, there's one up ahead.

I lift my ray gun and shoot another hole in it, and Luigi jumps through successfully. He puts me down on the floor.

"Th-Thank you, Luigi," I say, relieved that we are out of that horrid place. "I didn't hear you step on any spiders, though. I thought they were all over the room."

"There were only a few or so. I just didn't think we had time to waste, and I knew you would be too scared to carry on." Luigi replied evenly. I felt my cheeks flush and grow hot as I fidgeted.

"Oh."

**See, I tried to tell you, but you were too busy being panicked...**

"Sorry, Lyra," I say, embarrassed.

Looking around, we are in a big metal room now. Then I suddenly see her.

Daisy Sarasa, evil overlord of the Mushroom Kingdom.

**What will happen to Cecilia, Lyra and Luigi next? Stay tuned to find out! Waffle signing off!**


	12. Insanity

***yawn* Hey guys! :D Hope you like this chapter! I just finished writing it ^^ Please read and review, and thank you to everyone who has done so! I owe you all! Enjoy!**

LAST TIME ON THE DARKEST DAY...

"There were only a few or so. I just didn't think we had time to waste, and I knew you would be too scared to carry on." Luigi replied evenly. I felt my cheeks flush and grow hot as I fidgeted.

"Oh."

**See, I tried to tell you, but you were too busy being panicked...**

"Sorry, Lyra," I say, embarrassed.

Looking around, we are in a big metal room now. Then I suddenly see her.

Daisy Sarasa, evil overlord of the Mushroom Kingdom.

* * *

The first thing that gets me is her eyes.

Her once soft, sapphire blue eyes have turned wild and caged-animalistic. Her hair is ruffled and messy, and has grown all the way past her shoulders to her rear. An insane grin is plastered on her face. She is dressed in a long orange gown with white, elbow-length gloves.

"Daisy," I say, my eyes narrowing.

Cecilia immediately gets into a defensive stance. Daisy is sitting in a huge throne, not moving a muscle. Can she even see that we are here?

"Of course I can, my dear Luigi," she says, as if she can read my thoughts. I am taken aback. Darn! She can read minds now?

"Welcome to my humble abode, Weegie. I hope you didn't have too much trouble finding my room," she smiles evilly. My old nickname...she is not worthy of using it.

"Daisy, stop this madness!" I exclaim, raising my shuriken shooter. "I don't want to hurt you!"

"Why would I want to stop?" Daisy answered, her insane grin growing wider.

"Because this is wrong!" Cecilia yells.

Daisy whips her head in Cecilia's direction, glaring at her icily. "I didn't ask you, Scarfy," she spits. Cecilia clenches her fists in frustration, but doesn't say anything more.

"Daisy, you can still make things right," I plead. "You can forget all this and give Mushroom Kingdom to Peach to rule agin. Please,"

Daisy's insane grin turns into a frown. "Oh really? You think it's that easy, Luigi?" She rises from her seat and walks up to him. "You think I can just FORGET about all this, don't you? Well guess what? I can't! I've found my new true love, Luigi. And that," she jabs a finger into Luigi's heaving chest. "is being evil."

" I-I can't believe you, Daisy," I say, my voice nearly inaudible. I can't believe it! She's been turned into a monster!

"Why don't you join me, Luigi dear? It'll be fun," she says in a sing-songy voice. Her insane grin returns, and I feel anger rising inside me rapidly.

"No way!" I press the trigger on the shuriken shooter, releasing a bloody shuriken directly at Daisy's shoulder. She ducks and glares at me.

"Risky move there, Weegie. I wouldn't have done that if I had been you," she smirks. "But since I'm so nice, I won't punish you."

I bite my lower lip. She definitely has a trick up her sleeve.

Suddenly, two guards come out of nowhere and grab Cecilia's arms roughly. She gasps quietly, her panicked eyes darting to me.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" I shout.

"We won't hurt her, Luigi," Daisy replies, her eyes narrowing. "We'll just miss, like I did to you."

The same shuriken I shot just now zings towards Cecilia's legs at high speed. Fortunately, her quick reflexes allow her to jump up, dodging.

While the guards struggle to hold the feisty little girl down, she breaks free of their grip and punches their limbs swiftly and repeatedly, leaving the guards lying limp on the floor.

Cecilia jumps to beside me, her brown eyes alive with adrenaline. "That was fun, wanna take your turn, Princess Daisy?" she smirks.

Daisy looks indifferent. "Chi-blocking, huh? Interesting. You were wise not to do it to my guards last time, or you would have ended up in the Torture Chamber. Maybe you'd like to go there now." she says with an evil glint in her eyes.

"I'm not going back to The Madhouse! Never!" Cecilia yells.

Lyra is still in Cecilia's scarf, clinging on to the soft fabric.

"Daisy, you have one last chance to turn back." I say, seriousness evident in my voice. "Or we will freakin' fight." Cecilia prepares herself beside me.

"I think I'll take my chances," the brunette grins. Two katanas fly to her hands from nowhere, and she lunges at us.

I use the shuriken shooter to block a downwards swipe to my head and turn the Poltergust on, sending a torrent of water towards Daisy which sends her flying a distance.

Cecilia runs forward and tries to jab at her shoulders and legs, but Daisy is more agile than she looks, and she dodges quickly, kicking Cecilia in the stomach.

The sound of air escaping from Cecilia's mouth can be heard as she slams against the hard metal wall and groans.

"Cecilia!" I cry desperately while struggling to hold Daisy off. She can really fight, I think as I am nearly stabbed with the katana. I flung a shuriken at her, and it gets her in the arm. She winces and falls to her knees, but the glint in her eyes never fades.

After a quick glance upward to make sure Cecilia is alright, I point the nozzle of the Poltergust at Daisy's head.

"If you don't want me to freeze you like Bowser did to me," I spit icily, "then you'll tell me where Peach and Bowser are. What did you do to my brother!?"

"He killed Bowser that day," Daisy murmurs. "but then I came and took Peach to be my slave. And what do you think happened to him?" she says, whipping her head upwards to face me.

"You killed him, didn't you? You monster!" I scream, tears brimming in my eyes. Daisy killed Mario. She killed him.

Daisy is quiet, which enrages me. I feel the heat and chagrin from all these years building up inside me so much, I want to explode.

"You will not get away for your misdeed," I say, my voice dangerously quiet.

I stab her in the chest with another shuriken, watching as her face blanches and her arms go limp. Blood, blood everywhere, but I don't care.

"Where is Peach!?" I yell my last request into her ear.

"In...the underground dungeons..." Daisy gasps, her strength slowly fading away.

I nod and say, "Good bye, Daisy."

My finger pushes backwards and ice shoots out of the nozzle of the Poltergust, freezing Daisy and her blood.

Breathing heavily, I hurry over to where Cecilia is still lying. Some of the wounds on her arms have opened up and are bleeding, and her brown eyes look dilated. Lyra is on her chest, squeaking desperately.

"Cecilia!" I call, touching her face. She gives a low grunt. I dig around in her bag to find the jar of pearls, and slip one into her mouth.

She swallows it and her face instantly perks up, her cuts and bruises disappearing.

"Luigi..?" Cecilia mutters.

"You're awake," I reply, relieved.

She picks up Lyra and gets up. "You defeated Daisy," she smiles at me sadly.

"Yes,"

"Did you find out where Peach is?"

"In the underground dungeons."

"I know where that is. Let's go."

Cecilia begins to walk away, but then I stop her.

"Wait,"

Walking up to Daisy's frozen figure, I carefully and shakily pour exactly one drop of the potion onto her. As I watch her vanish into thin air, I slip the bottle back into my pocket.

"Now let's go,"

**So...is the world safe? :S**


	13. Freedom!

**It's the LAST CHAPTER! :D :( :o :I lol. Anyway, I'd like to thank EVERYONE for—**

**Dimentio: Save that for the end of the chapter! Gosh, can't you see them dying to see the end? D:**

**Me: Dimentio? Wh—never mind...okay well enjoy! **

LAST TIME ON THE DARKEST DAY...

Cecilia begins to walk away, but then I stop her.

"Wait,"

Walking up to Daisy's frozen figure, I carefully and shakily pour exactly one drop of the potion onto her. As I watch it vanish into thin air, I slip the bottle back into my pocket.

"Now let's go,"

* * *

**I'm hungry.**

I sigh as Lyra says the exact same phrase for the tenth time. "I know, Lyra. But we don't have any food right now."

We are walking down the spiralling stairway leading to the dungeons. As I had expected, it is dimly lit with the occasional torch hanging on the wall. Our footsteps echo in the hollow area, as does Lyra's squeaking and my voice.

"We'll eat when we get home, okay?" I reassure Lyra, rubbing her tiny head. "We'll have cheese, pot roast and lots of other nice things."

_Maybe...if we can rescue Peach and get out of here._

Luigi is again, unnervingly quiet. I hope he is alright. I heard the pain in his voice when he was interrogating Daisy. It was like hearing his heart shatter into millions of pieces—absolutely horrible.

We get to the bottom of the staircase. "We're here," I announce, gesturing to the large chamber doors in front of us. Pulling out the ray gun, I shoot a hole in the door and we climb through. Gasps echo around the room, probably from the prisoners.

It's like a jail, with many cells lining the walls of the passageway. All I see are rusty metal, dust, dirt, and shocked expressions.

"Oh my gosh!"

"Luigi?"

"He hasn't changed a bit..."

"I thought he was dead!"

Luigi and I amble down the passageway. His mouth is slightly agape as he stares around at the people trapped in the cells. I see many aged toads, a purple-and-yellow jester, a cheering green-haired woman, a Koopa with a bandage on his nose, another female Koopa...

"Peach!" Luigi cries, rushing forward to the jail cell at the very end. My head snaps in his direction as we hurry forward.

The last cell looks the most dilapidated of all. I struggle to calm the panic rising as I notice a spider scuttle along the ground near the cage. Inside the cell, in the corner, sits a woman, her back facing us. She is wearing a torn dress, which is a dirty pink. Her blonde hair is even messier than Daisy's, and it seems to have been roughly and unevenly snipped off at the ends, making her hair look damaged and split end-y.

**She looks terrible.**

I ignore Lyra's comment. "Princess Peach," I whisper, "we're here to get you out."

At the sound of her old name, she turns around. Luigi and I let out inaudible gasps of shock. The once-gorgeous Princess Peach now looked like she hadn't slept in years, with dark eyebags under her dilated blue eyes, her mouth drooping in a despaired frown.

"L-Luigi," she croaks. Her voice is no longer gentle and sweet, but forced and deep. She stands up shakily, walking towards us. Her arms are thin and bony, like everyone else's. She reaches up and touches Luigi's face first before touching mine. Her fingertips feel like ice on my cheeks—cold, wet and fragile.

Peach smiles down at me. "Th-That's my necklace, isn't it? And my ring..."

"We found the note," Luigi says.

I reach into my sling bag and take the jar of pearls out. "Swallow this," I say, giving a pearl to Peach. Her hands are shaking as she takes it delicately and drops it into her mouth.

I watch as her blue eyes light up and her eyebags vanish. Her mouth curls into a sweet smile as her strength returns. I can't suppress a smile as Luigi does a fist pump.

"What is your name, young hero?" Peach asks as I blast the bars of the cell with the ray gun.

"Cecilia Kice, Princess. It's a pleasure to meet you." I reply politely.

Peach smiles and turns to Luigi. "It's been forever since I saw such a young, cheerful face," she states. Luigi grins and ruffles my hair.

I feel my cheeks flush with pride and embarrassment as he does so. While they are talking, I start blasting the bars of the cells, setting the people inside free.

"We're free!"

"Hooray!"

"Thank you, Luigi and Cecilia!"

As they run out of their jail cells, I hand the injured or sick ones the healing pearls.

Peach gathers the crowd of inmates in the hallway.

"Citizens of Mushroom Kingdom, foreigners, and others. We are now free from this dreadful prison! Today, Daisy has been defeated. We should thank Luigi Mario and Cecilia Kice for their bravery in saving us!"

"Actually, it was only Luigi who—" I begin, but was cut off when Luigi elbowed me, giving me a take-the-credit-or-die look. I smirk and say nothing more.

"It was no problem, really," Luigi says out loud, rubbing the back of his neck.

* * *

All the citizens and prisoners gather in Peach's castle foyer.

"Citizens of Mushroom Kingdom, I would like Luigi to come up here and say a few words," Peach smiles, gesturing to Luigi to come up onstage.

Luigi looks around at the huge crowd and I see his face tint red.

"Ten years ago, I was frozen in a battle with Bowser. I was like that for ten years, frozen in place, not being able to move or anything. It was like I was in a coma. Then Cecilia came...and she told me."

"She told me how Bowser had become the new ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, much to my dismay. I knew I had to fight to save the city once again, even without my brother. But this time, I had Cecilia on my side. During the anniversary, you saw that we came in and killed Bowser. Then we sent you all to your own homes while we found the Princess and freed the others."

"But that is not the end of the story. Bowser was actually a machine, controlled by Daisy Sarasa,"

At this piece of news, everyone in the crowd gasps.

Luigi's face darkens. "Yes...Daisy. When we faced her, it seemed she had gone insane with evil. She even tried to get me to join her. We got rid of her by using a potion I created to send her to another dimension where she cannot hurt anyone."

"Later, I deduced that Daisy was the one who had defeated Mario and Bowser alike," Luigi says, his voice turning shaky. "But we stopped her...today."

The crowd cheers with joy. I smile, looking at all the people we have saved today. We saved them.

I glance over at Luigi, and he returns it. His eyes are no longer sad, but proud and happy.

"And I would like to thank Cecilia Kice and her mother, Kristine, for helping me in my quest as well." he announces.

Everyone claps, and I feel my cheeks flush as I bow. "Thank you, everyone!"

I spot Mum's face in the sea of other faces. Her jet black eyes are shining with pride as she sees me and winks at me.

After a few more announcements, the citizens set to work cleaning up the town and removing every Bowser-esque object in sight. Some toads take down the creepy decorations. I see the jester using his magic to destroy the decorations. Despite his magic being weak after not being used for so long, he still shows spirit.

I smile.

Spring comes and I watch with glee as the town slowly becomes the town I once knew as a young kid.

Clear, blue skies dotted with puffy white clouds. Bowser's castle being demolished, with a pink castle taking its place. The cheerful laughter of other kids as they play freely in the fields, not having to worry about getting stabbed in the back or slashed with a whip or something.

My head rests on my hands as I lean on the window sill, looking out the window. Lyra sits on my head.

**Freedom feels good, doesn't it?**

"Sure does," I grin. I'm dressed in new clothes today. A lilac sundress complete with a purple hairpin. To be totally honest, I haven't dressed up like this ever. It's always been a simple shirt and shorts, no accessories whatsoever. Mum always had trouble with money, so we could only buy necessities and stuff.

I turn away from the window and amble out of the room into the hallway. Peach had our little house specially remodelled so that we had more rooms and space. Of course, Mum didn't want such a large house, so we expanded only slightly, adding an extra room for Luigi, repainting the walls and floor and adding a hallway as well.

"Hey Cecilia!" A cheery voice comes from behind me. I spin around and smile.

Luigi is sticking his head out of the extra room, which has been given to him.

"Come check this out," he says.

I head to his room. The walls are a lime green striped with dark green, and the pine floorboards are covered with a circular jade rug. A wooden study desk sits beside a snow white bed in the corner.

I look up at Luigi, who is wearing a green button-down top and jeans. He shows me a digital green wristwatch on the study desk, beaming happily.

I raise my eyebrow. "So..?"

Luigi puts the digital wristwatch on and presses a button. Instantly, the screen turns into a game screen of Super Mario Bros. My chocolate brown eyes widen in amazement.

"That's so cool! Did you make this?" I ask curiously.

Luigi nods. "Yup. I've been...experimenting a bit with some stuff Gadd gave me, and I ended up with this baby,"

"Awesome,"

"By the way, I got a job there too." Luigi grins. "So I'll be earning money for your family."

"You mean OUR family," I giggle, hugging Luigi.

Luigi pauses briefly before hugging me back, ruffling my brown hair. "Yeah. Our family."

"Luigi, I just want to thank you for helping restore Mushroom Kingdom to its former glory," I say, my arms wrapped tightly around Luigi's waist. "And thanks for letting me come along. I will never forget the day we took down Bowdaisy."

Luigi's eye twitches. "Bowdaisy?"

I laugh. "Bowser and Daisy,"

I catch a glimpse of sadness in his sapphire blue eyes as he smiles down at me.

"And thank you, Cecilia, for helping me in my battle for freedom."

Maybe the darkest day hadn't been so bad after all. It had brought three unlikely people together as a family and strengthened relationships.

It might have been the darkest day ten years ago, but in the end, it was the greatest day of all.

**Did you guys like the ending? :D And now, I'd like to thank EVERYONE who reviewed, faved and followed this story! I LOVE YOU ALL! HERE'S FREAKIN' VIRTUAL WAFFLES! xD And even if you didn't review or fave or follow, I'd like to thank you for reading as well! I'm glad I finished this! Review please! :)**

**Waffle out!**

**Dimentio: I'm still here, you know... -_-;**


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